Rob taught us to MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY'

Faced with motor neurone disease, rugby star Rob Burrow touched the public's hearts. His wife Lindsey reveals how Rob prepared his family for life without him

- GABY HUDDART

When I look through photos of Rob, seeing the children tumbling all over him, I can't help but smile - there are so many snapshots of joy that remind me of the wonderful times we spent together. We met as teenagers, as I used to go to the same dance school as his older sisters. I remember when he took me on a date to see Serendipity at the pictures. We had very similar personalities as we were both quite shy, and although it sounds like a cliché, he treated me like a princess.

While I was doing my A levels, Rob played his Leeds Rhinos rugby league debut at 17. Then, when I was studying physiotherapy at Manchester University, we went to Disneyland Paris and Rob proposed. I was only 19, but I knew he was the one for me.

We bought our first house, close to our parents in West Yorkshire, in 2001 while I was still at university. I qualified as a physiotherapist in 2004 and was lucky to get a job in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where I've been for over 20 years now. Rob was doing well in his career, and we had a beautiful winter wedding in December 2006.

We had our children, Macy, Maya and Jackson, now 12, nine and six, when Iwas in my late 20s. Immediately, our lives evolved around them and their activities, be that swimming or drama classes. We relished the simple things — just going to the park or the cinema as a family, or watching TV cuddled up on the sofa together. Now 41, I look back and remember life felt pretty perfect.

Terrible blow

It was 2019 when Rob was away with his mum that she noticed him slurring his speech. We were moving house at the time, and Rob struggled to say the word ‘solicitor’.

It happened again at a Leeds Rhinos presentation, where Rob was the coach of the academy team, and couldn't say the word ‘consistency’.